Despite an improving job market and low interest rates, the share of first-time buyers fell to its lowest point in nearly three decades, according to an annual survey released today by the National Association of REALTORS®.
NAR's Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers dates back to 1981. The average rate of first-time buyers during that time has been around four out of 10 purchases. In this year’s survey, the share of first-time buyers dropped 5 percentage points from a year ago to 33 percent, representing the lowest share since 1987 (30 percent).
Rising rents and repaying student loan debt makes saving for a down payment more difficult, especially for young adults who’s experienced limited job prospects and flat wage growth since entering the workforce.
When asked about the primary reason for purchasing, 53 percent of first-time buyers cited a desire to own a home of their own. Most in this group say they plan to stay in their home for 10 years and they are 10 percent more likely to purchase a townhouse or a condo than repeat buyers. The median age of first-time buyers was 31, unchanged from the last two years, and the median income was $68,300 (up from $67,400 in 2013). The household composition of all buyers responding to the survey was mostly unchanged from a year ago; 65 percent were married couples, 16 percent single women, 9 percent single men, and 8 percent unmarried couples. Thirteen percent of survey respondents were multi-generational households, including adult children, parents and/or grandparents.
The typical first-time buyer purchased a 1,570 square-foot home costing $169,000. The survey also found that 47 percent of first-time buyers said the mortgage application and approval process was much more or somewhat more difficult than expected (an increase of four percent over last year). Among 23 percent of first-time buyers who said saving for a downpayment was difficult, more than half (57 percent) said student loans delayed saving, up from 54 percent a year ago.
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